ARTICLES ON LEGAL SUBJECTS  NEWSPAPERS  MAGAZINES  TRADE JOURNALS
 An attorney may write and sell for publication articles of a general nature
on legal subjects for newspapers, magazines, or trade journals, provided he does not
advise inquirers in respect to their individual rights.

ADVERTISING  FREE LEGAL ADVICE TO SUBSCRIBERS  An attorney may not
allow his name to be carried in a magazine or other publication representing that
he is an attorney for a named organization and will furnish free legal advice to its
members.

"Whether or not a lawyer's writing a feature weekly letter upon common place law
matters in which the public generally is interested for the newspapers to carry and pay a
compensation to the lawyer, would be unethical. In other words, would such be considered a
solicitation of business or improper advertising or, on the contrary, would it be treated
as the writing and selling of such service as in the nature of the writing and selling of
law books?"

Opinion

Canon 37, which is substantially the same as Canon 40 of the American Bar Association,
and Opinions 92 and 162 of the opinions of the Committee on Professional Ethics and
Grievances of such association, adequately cover and answer the foregoing question. Such
Opinions 92 and 162 are hereby adopted as the opinion of this Committee applicable to
Canon 37; which opinions read as follows:

Opinion 92: "An attorney of the Atlanta Bar seeks the opinion of the Committee as
to the propriety under ethical standards of the American Bar Association, of his writing,
signing and selling to periodicals of general circulation articles of a general nature
upon legal subjects.

"Canon No. 40 of the Canons of Professional Ethics expressly recognizes the
practice as proper with the qualification that 'he should not accept employment from such
publications to advise inquirers with respect to their individual rights.'

"Since the articles are to be of a general nature, we assume they will not come
within the exception to Canon 40; that they will constitute dignified and instructive
treatment of the law, its history, philosophy and interpretation.

"Within the bounds indicated, the contemplated activity is entirely proper."

Opinion 162: "A trade magazine, in soliciting subscriptions from persons engaged
in the business to which it related, stated that it operated a Legal Advice Service
Department under the direction of the country's leading authority in the field of law
pertaining to that business, in order to help its subscribers in solving their legal
problems. It invited all subscribers to submit their questions to it, stating that the
specialist would give subscribers the benefit of his advice free. It also stated that he
contributes a monthly article to the magazine dealing with those phases of the law with
which men in that particular business are continuously coming in contact, which service
alone is worth many times the $3.00 subscription price and might easily save one engaged
in the business hundreds of dollars.

"A member of this Association inquires whether the attorney is guilty of unethical
conduct in furnishing advice to the subscribers of this magazine or in writing the article
for its pages, it being assumed that for each be is paid by the magazine.

"There is no ethical or other valid reason why an attorney may not write articles
on legal subjects for magazines and newspapers. The fact that the publication is a trade
journal or magazine, makes no difference as to the ethical question involved. On the other
hand, it would be unethical and contrary to the precepts of the Canons for the attorney to
allow his name to be carried in the magazine or other publication in the manner indicated
in the foregoing statement, as a free legal adviser for the subscribers to the
publication. Such would be contrary to Canons 27 and 35 and Opinions heretofore
announced by the Committee on Professional Ethics and Grievances. (See Opinions 1, 41, 42
and 56.)" (6-1)